Frame structure



Patented Oct. 15, 1946 UN I T ED STATE S PATENT '0 F FI C E l 2,409,366Y 7 i FRAME STRUCTURE Felix E. Lang, Sayreville, N. J. ApplicationSeptember 15, 1945, Serial No. 616,489

1 Claim. (01. 211-123) ments whereby to build into a structure of thischaracter a high degree of resistance to twisting and to diagonallyapplied forces, with the of a minimum quantity of material. Afurtheraimof the invention is to overcome certain inherentweaknesses anddificulties en countered in the manufacture andassembling oflattice-like structures, to simplify and reduce the operationsinvolvedin fitting and assembling the parts, "and to render available animproved design of joint that not only is attractive from the ornamentalaspect but which is also functionally superior and more stable than isthe joint obtained when resort is had to conventional methods offabrication. l j I As an example of the type of lattice-like structureto which the invention'relates, reference will be made to a music bar'orstand wherein five horizontally disposed bars (representing lines) areto be held in parallel spaced relation in endstandards or uprights. Tolend attractiveness to the music stand, the horizontal bars are glass orplastic rods, and the notes, clef, and the various other music symbolsare hung upon the rods. Because the rods" vary somewhat in diameter ithas been necessary heretoforeto fit each end of each bar to a particularhole in the end standard to keep the stand in erect position which wasnot only costly and time consuming but made it impractical to box andship a music stand except in its fully assembled condition. Moreover,and even tho the bars and their end pieces were individually fitted, theprior types of joint ra'rely were tight enough effectively to constrainthe bars and the complete assembly against twisting or from slantingwhen in use.

' The present invention undertakes toprovide a firm joint fortransversely extending members that automatically compensates forvariations in sizes of themembers and which has a clamping effectuponthe individual elements, producing a substantially rigidself-sustaining structure without need for drilling andreaming or theuse of auxiliary connectors. To achieve the objectives in view it isproposed to form each of the upright members of the frame of semi-rigidmaterial and preferably in two parts, each of which is preformed with aseries of semi-circular shapedrecessesspaced therealong. The recesses,in the case of a music bar stand, are uniformly spaced apart and aredisposed alternately along each side of thestandard. 'Two of suchpreformed elements, when placed in reversed position adjacent eachother, constitute 'a single standard, and the alternated recesses ineach being oifs'et but their-projected shapes forming cavities for rereception and support of the rods. When the rods are in place, thegeneral effect is one of weaving, that is, each upright member appearsas woven over and under the respective rods, with each of the uprightsoppositely woven. When so related the frame elements mutually coact andfunction to grip the respective rods about a substantial portion oftheir perimeters. With a joint of this character, at least three uprightmembers arerequiredjcne facing oneway between two facing the opposite,but it is preferable toemploy four members, two at each end of the musicbar or stand, and additional uprights intervening if the expanse orareais relatively large; l

Otherobjects and advantages will be in part indicated in the followingdescription and in part rendered apparent therefrom in connection withthe annexed'drawin'g. 1

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to apprehend the underlyingfeatures hereof that 1 they may embody the same in the various wayscontemplated by this invention, a drawing depict ingfla preferredtypical construction has been annexed as apart of this disclosure and,in such drawing, like characters of reference denote corresponding partsthroughout all the views, of Whichi Figure 1 is a front view of a musicbar stand embodying this invention. l A Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of astand illustrating more. clearly the interwoven character of the endstandards.

Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 2. r The music stand disclosed in Figuralrepresentsatypical application of the herein proposed method and meansof firmly clamping a series of rods as to maintain the rods in parallelism and the stand as a whole in an erect nonslanting position. Briefly,the music stand com prises five horizontal bars 5, 6, I, 8 and 9(representing lines) and vertical end standards I4, [5

audit, 1 1 (representing score bars). The musical,

clef it, notes l9, etc., are hung upon the bars in any suitable way.Additional vertical bars, musical symbols, or other characters may beindividual fitting operations at each end; Any

looseness at the joints rendered the frame unstable and a markedtendency toward leaning to one side resulted.

In an effort to overcome such problems and to simplify the constructionas well, thisinvention proposes a frame construction in which thehorizontal and vertical members mutually cooperate to clamp themselvesfirmly together, irrespective of the normal variations andirregularities in the size or shape of the several parts. The improvedjoint of this invention is composed of upright members M, l5 (I6, 17)each of which is generally rectangular in cross-section and preformedwith a series of spaced semi-circular recesses 2!, 22, 23, 2 i'and 25inits opposite sides. The recesses alternate with one another, asillustrated in Fig. 3, the odd numbered recesses being in one side andthe even numbered recesses being in the opposite side. Preferably eachrecess is of a radius slightly smaller than the rod to be grippedtherein so that the uprights themselves have a clamping effect upon therods which is amplified and increased when the uprights are tensioned.To'tension the uprights each portion 26, 21, 28, 29 and 30 containing.the alternated recesses of each upright, is initially depressed out ofthe general plane of the bar a distance slightly less than one-half thethickness of the rod to be seated and clamped therein and theintervening bridging portions 3|, 32, 33 and 34 that connect therecessed portionsofthe bar, form rigid spacers and truss members;

When two of such uprights are placediadjacent to one another andoppositely facing each other, the alternated recesses in one uprightcomplement the recesses. formed in the other upright and together theyform substantially circular openings for the reception of the rods 59.Where the bridging portions 3l-34 of the uprights join the portions2B30, the reverse bends in the upright members function as upper and.lower abutments definitely locating and confining the horizontal rodsagainst upward or downward movement.

In assembling a structure of this character, one pair of uprights, e.g., l4, I5 is first fitted with the lower (or the upper) three rods.Thereafter the other ends of the rods are pressedinto a'single plane anda third upright, e. g-., member 16, is applied. By applying the uprightmembers in alternation, similar to the weave of cloth, it will be foundthat three uprights and three rods form a self-lockingsef-retainingassemby. Thereafter additional uprights and rods may be added as may bedesired or for which provision has been made.

By laterally offsetting the inside walls of the respective recesses 2!,22, etc;, a distance slightly less than the thickness or the diameter ofthe rods to be clamped therein, the inserting of the rods requires thateach recessed portion of the uprights be sprung laterally a slightdistance further, and the inherent elasticity of the stock, in tendingto return to its normal position, effects a firm clamping of each rod atpoints above and below a horizontal diametral line, notwithstandingvariations that may exist in rod sizes. As the rods are assembled, eachalternated upright is not only placed under tension, but that therecessed portions 21, 22, etc;, thereof, are caused to grip theperipheries of the several rods and establish a plurality of regions ofsurface engagement-therewith. In consequence, each rod becomes supportedand clamped in a sleeve-like bearing, i. e., a bearing that extends fromwell below a diametral line to a point well above the diametral line, oneach side of the vertical plane. This gives to each rod, firm surfacesupport in each of the quadrants a, b, c, d, and the respective rodscannot, therefore, sag (out of parallel ism) or assume a slantwiseposition. It has been found that glass rods pproximately in diameter arefirmly held 1" apart if the end standards are constructed of plasticmaterials measuring x A" with the dimension extending lengthwise therods. Three of such members make a tensioned bearing aggregating inlength and which has been found well adapted to sustain the rods, andsuch symbols or characters as may be mounted thereupon, and the frame asa whole against untoward twisting or endwise leaning.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, each of the end standards is provided with aleg portion 50, that conveniently is a continuation of the lowest rodbearing portion 26. By so fashioning the legs (when legs are desired)the weight of. the assembled frame and parts carried thereby, furtherpromotes the clamping action. The upper end of the uprights of the framemay be ended off where the portions 350i two uprightscross one another.If desired a union can be made at that zone by cementing or weldingthose portions together;

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist ofthis invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readilyadapt it for various utilizations by retaining one or more of thefeaturesthat, from the standpoint-of the prior art, fairly constituteessential characteristics of either thegeneric or specific aspects ofthis invention and, therefore, such adaptations should be, and areintended to be, comprehended Within the meaning and range of equivalencyof the following claim.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to securethe following combinations and elements, or equivalents thereof, byLetters Patent of the United States:

In a music frame comprising a plurality of horizontally disposed glassrods spaced fromone another and arranged in parallelism the combinationof two supporting standards for gripping and maintaining said rodsspaced from one another and in parallelism, each standard comprising twosemi-rigid members each of which is transversely interwoven with thesaid rods and with the members of each of said pairs oppositelyinterwoven with the said rods and the lower extremities of. eachof saidmembers extending out of the general plane of the frame and forminglegelements.

FELIX E. LANG.

